Hank the Cowdog and the Moonshiner's Gold
by Hank-o-holic
Summary: Hanks ranch is high on taxes, and they might go bankruped! It's up to Hank and Drover to find the lost Moonshine Mine, in order to find the gold and save the ranch.


**Hank the Cowdog and the Moonshiner's gold**

Disclaimer: I don't own Hank the Cowdog

It's me again, Hank the Cowdog.

Have you ever been rich, or dreamed about being rich? I do, I never thought it would happen, but it did. Anyway it was March, around the beginning of spring. Drover and I were running laps around the ranch house, when we heard the news.

"Oh dear," said Sally May "these taxes are crazy, I better get Loper."

She called for him. He and Slim, were fixing the machine shed door.

"What's wrong?" Loper asked.

"It's the taxes, they say we haven't paid our taxes for three weeks," Sally May explained "if we don't pay this bill in two days, they'll cut our funding and we'll have to move!"

Loper looked at the bill with shock.

"Wow, 15,000 dollars." He said with an edge in his voice.

"What will we do now?" Sally May yelled.

This is terrible, I can't move away from the best ranch in the world. My gunny sacks, emerald pond, and my love Beulah!

"Drover, do you know what this means?"

Drover pondered for a while. "Yeah, but you say it first."

I paced around; it's what I do best when I think.

"Maybe we can pay off this bill."

Drover gave me a frown. "Hank, we have no money."

Oh well… I had a better plan.

"We could have a fundraiser?"

"Hank, we're dogs, not school teachers."

Just then a familiar face appeared; my arch enemy, Pete the Barncat.

"Hi Hankie." He greeted.

I don't like cats; especially that one.

"Pete what do you want? I'm busy with a conversation."

Pete walked over and started grinning. "Well I over heard you conversation and thought I could do something to help."

I laughed, "Why would I need help from a _cat_?"

Pete rolled his eyes (I hate when he does that.) "You should, because I know the answer to all your problems."

Drover seemed to be interested. "Oh come on Hank! This could be promising."

I thought for a while. "Okay fine, tell me what is needed to tell me."

"You have to day please." Pete said with a grin.

"PETE!" I yelled, man he's annoying.

"Okay, Okay." Pete began talking in a low voice. "You need to look for a place called Moonshine Mines. They have hidden gold, so much gold, that it's enough to pay those taxes."

Drover and I looked at each other, and back at Pete. "Okay," I said "and where is this Moonshine mine?"

Pete chuckled. "Deep in Coyote Canyon."

Drover became wide eyed.

"Oh my gosh! Coyotes! Hank my leg is killing me; I'll have to stay here."

"Oh no you don't! You're coming with me." I yelled

"Oh fiddles."

I looked at Pete, "If we're not back here in two days, call out to me."

Pete shook his head, "of course Hankie."

"Oh and by the way, why are you helping us?"

"Because if we move, I won't be able to tease you all the time. It's fun."

Then we left, to find the Moonshiner's gold, and save the ranch.

(Time lapse)

It must have been three hours since I left the ranch. I was getting restless.

"Hank," Drover whispered "my feet hurt, does this place even exist?"

I wondered that myself. "Drover, I'm not sure, it may be an elaborate…"

I was cut off when I saw a cave. It had railroad tracks and a "keep out" sight. "…hoax."

"Hank! This must be it! Let's go find that gold!"

Drover ran inside, I followed.

That cave was pretty dark, I couldn't see past my own nose. We walked a long way until a small light was visible at the end.

"Drover, I think we found it!"

"Yah!" Drover yelled

We ran all the way there, but we didn't notice the small burrowing owl standing in front of the door.

"Hault!" She yelled

Drover squeaked, but I stayed alert. I think I know her from somewhere.

"Madame Moonshine?"

She smacked her face. "Oh rubbish! You know who I am?"

I shrugged, "I guess so."

"Oh well, what are you hear for? Wait, let me guess." She stamped her foot. "YOU WANT MY GOLD DON'T YOU?!" Madame yelled.

"Well," I said "yes, but for an important reason."

She glared at me. "I don't care, this is my only home left and I need this gold for emergencies!"

"Gosh," Drover said "what happened to your old home?"

Madame sighed, "Those bandit coyotes are taking all our homes."

Bandit coyotes? Oh of course! We're in coyote canyon.

"Well Madame, we'll get your home back on one condition."

Madame became wide-eyed, "name it."

So I told her the whole story, and she seemed to understand.

"Oh okay, go right on ahead."

"Thanks Madame Moonshine."

Drover and I walked in the bright room. Drover was shocked, "Oh, my, goodness!" There, right in front of us was the largest gathering of gold ever. We looked around for the perfect one. Drover found it; a piece of gold two feet high.

"Drover there is no way we'll be able to get this here gold to the ranch in time."

Drover must have had a light bulb in his head. "I have and idea!"

Turns out it worked. Drover found two twigs, tied them up with grape vines and we hoisted it out of the cave.

"Look!" I called after 20 minutes of walking "I see the ranch, we're almost home.

You would've thought the trip was almost over, and it was a piece of cake, well think again.

"Ha! Thanks for finding our gold doggies." A mysterious voice called.

"Hank what was that?" Drover cried.

I looked up to see three coyotes; they each had raccoon pelts on their head.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes, we're the bandit coyotes, and if you don't give us your gold, we'll kill you all." One of them said.

"I Hank the Cowdog say, by all means, that this piece of gold is for something very…"

"Shut up! We don't give a hoot about that. Give us it now!"

The other two pounced in, we were surrounded. We would have been torn to shreds, if Slim hadn't blasted his gun.

The bandits ran away, "We'll meet again!"

Slim drove his pickup all the way over here. "Hank, Drover, what in the world are you doing away from home?"

He then saw the gold. "Where did you get that?

I thumped my tail, but something about Slim's chuckle told me this would be good.

"Oh I see, the taxes, well hop on up here and I'll load her up."

So Drover and I rode in the trunk with the gold. We drove all the way to the ranch. Slim told Loper and Sally May about everything, and they cheered. "The ranch is saved!"

A day had passed since we paid the tax collector. Drover and I were considered "heroes." It also turns out there was plenty of gold left, and as for Madame Moonshine, she didn't move back to her home. She better preferred a mine then a cave full of rattlesnakes.

Case closed.


End file.
